A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 17, 1996 STOP Press _ communities, and native groups can develop ways of, Union votes to strike ALCAN’S KITIMAT workers have given their union an overwhelming strike mandate as the July 24 deadline for a new contract closes in. Members of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 2301 voted 95.5 per cent ‘Yes’ in response to the ques- tion, “Are you in favour of a strike?” Local president Ross Slezak says that result says to the company it has to come up with a substantial offer by next week or face the consequence of a strike. Negotiations entered the final stage the day prior to the vote as the two sides tackled what’s called package three dealing with monetary issues such as wage increases and benefits. Slezak said major items from the union’s perspec- tive include a wage increase, improvements to the com- pany pension plan, medical benefits for retirees and improved job security. CAW 2301 is coming off a zero-increase contract and Slezak noted said the union a raise this time around as compensation. Non-monetary issues were settled last month and matters relating to Kemano and other parts of the Alcan operation outside the smelter itself were agreed July 9. Sainthood proposed THERE'S A growing movement to have a Fort St. James-area woman declared a Catholic saint. Rose Prince worked at the former Lejac residential school near Fraser Lake and was 34 when she died in 1949. Several years jater, when her grave was one of those moved to another site, the lid came off of our cof- fin and her body was found to have been perfectly preserved, Prince first attended Lejac and then worked at the school until the time of her death. Since then a movement has slowly grown to the point where some are calling for Prince to be declared a saint. Her gravesite has also become a magnet for believers with some claiming that the soil around pos- sesses special healing powers. Each July hundreds of people congregate at Lejac to celebrate Prince’s life. Wood bucks kick loose COMMUNITIES THREATENED with job losses because of reduced wood supplies now have a program to help them out. Forest Renewal B.C. this week announced it has $18 million to hand out over the next three years so ee \ getting more.irom the wood available to them. on Council votes for tender CITY COUNCIL'S committee of the whole voted Monday night to recommend that the city go to tender on its vehicle fleet purchase. Originally the council had voted una- nimously to adopt a policy of ‘gradually replacing its fleet of trucks and cars with GM vehicles, instead of going out to tender. The city’s fleet is already three-quarters GM vehicles, and councilors thought stan- dardization would lead to better efficiencies. But the move angered other dealers, such as Terrace Totem Ford’s Jake De Jong and Terrace Chrysler’s Rob Onslein. Concern over public perception was what caused council to overturn its decision, “We're ignoring the very important prin- cipal of open bidding on city purchases,” said councilor Val George. “Public perception is important,” added councilor Ed Graydon. “It’s not just to keep GM honest, it’s to keep everyone honest. It may not be the most efficient, but it’s what the taxpayer wants.” McEwan GM_ representative Norm Flann was on hand, and promised GM would be very competitive, and said the city would save money by standardizing its vehicle fleet. Councilor Gardon Hull agreed. “The public in general wants us to be efficient,” said Hull. But public perception was the overriding factor for Mayor Jack Talstra, ° “We'll play it safe and go to tender,” he said, adding that it could take a lifetime to counter the perception that the city was play- ing favourites. He ended on a favourable note for the GM dealership. “T have no doubt that GM will continue to do well in the tendering process.” Keys io Keys Keys = Keys Keys Keys Keys Keys Keys Keys Keys KeysKeys 46240 Greig Ave. * a Phone: 635-5 aa. * ean 595-4918 SE CUR ITY Learn To BLY) For As Little As 3 230% | applicabia) FOR MORE INFO CALL ALISTAIR (1 632-3 (0/ 632.5787 OR NICK (qy 635-145te Lawated at the south endo the anport in the Ford building “New Racord (For the lates onaThe $18 million program is divided inta, three, parts. : js fies: . . There’s money for communities facing immediate job losses, money to study projects that create or keep forest jobs and money to research different kinds of forest employment. “Forest communities want to plan for their future and they want the forests to be part of their economic plan,” said Forest Renewal chief executive officer Colin Smith in announcing the program. Forest Renewal B.C. is a provincial crown corpora- tion and received approximately $400 million a year from added stumpage fees to improve the provincial for- est economy. Mine block bid denied A legal bid to halt construction of the Huckleberry copper mine southwest of Houston was tumed down Friday, but the issue isn’t settled yet, The Cheslatta-Carrier Nation’s application for an injunction to stop work on the mine was refused in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. But the ruling amounts to only the first shot in another larger legal battle. The Cheslatta, represented by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, had sought the injunction until its main petition against the mine project can be heard in early September, They argued that not enough studies had been con- ducted on wildlife that might be impacted from con- struction on the approach road and the mine site. Effective July 1, 1996, British Columbia's Victims of Crime Act gives victims of crime the right to receive information abou: * victim services available to you * compensation for criminal injury * how the criminal system works, the status of the police i investigation and the court case ¢ the administration of the affender's sentence * your rights ta privacy You are also entitled to a reasonable ; opportunity to have admissible evidence about the impact of the crime upon you (victim impact statement) presented to the court before sentencing, If you are a victim in a case in progress and wish to make a victim impact statement, call the Crown councel office involved in the case or the victim information line. 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